Endlessly
by BloodRedEnd
Summary: After the battle at Hogwarts, Harry feels like he must go back to the Shrieking Shack to give Snape a proper burial. What happens when the body isn't there?
1. Chapter 1

I'm back, I'm not dead! I was just having problems with writers block. This story is already finished and you should have the rest of the chapters within the next couple weeks, there are four chapters all together. So there will be no waiting years for the next update like some of my other stories, lol. This story starts right after the seventh book (ignoring the 14 years later chapter).

**Warnings:** Slash

**Disclaimer: **The characters are not mine, everyone knows this.

**Chapter 1**

Harry turned wearily away from the sea of dead and mourning people in the Great Hall. The body count was just so high, and Harry's mind was still spinning with what had just transpired. It was a staggering weight in his thoughts. All he wanted to do was lay down somewhere and sleep for days and forget about all this ugliness. There was something else he felt he had to do first, however. Snape's memories were still swirling through his thoughts, and with them thoughts of the man himself. The Half Blood Prince.

Harry's mind latched onto the title and onto the book from his previous year at Hogwarts. He remembered how protective he was of that book, how fond he was of it. It had been as if it was a little piece of the mysterious prince himself. And if Harry was truly honest with himself, he had been more than a little fond of the Half Blood Prince. Thoughts of that combined with the memories Snape had given him, creating a confusing mess of emotions in Harry's mind. He only knew one thing for sure about Snape at that moment and it was that he couldn't leave the man's body to rot in the Shrieking Shack, or worse yet to be discovered later on by someone and treated with disdain because he was a Death Eater.

So instead of allowing himself to rest like he so desperately wanted to, he wearily set out across the grounds of Hogwarts toward the Whomping Willow. Hermione called out to him, but he waved her off, telling her to stay and comfort Ron and the rest of the Weasley's. The willow flailed its branches half-heartedly, a large crack running down one of its main branches and several others littering the ground around it, collateral damage from the fight that had just ensued. Harry picked one up to prod the knot with, and the tree froze. He picked his way carefully down the tunnel, almost fearing that someone else might be hiding down there or in the shack. He finally rose up through the trap door only to freeze in shock.

Snape's body was missing.

After a moment of standing still in shock, Harry pulled himself fully into the room. There was blood on the floor where Snape had once lain. There were no footprints, nor anything that looked like Snape might have been dragged away. Harry took a step closer to see if the blood would yield any other clues, but stopped and looked down when he heard the clink of glass. Two small glass vials lay at his feet, next to the blood Potion vials? There was a residue of some sort of liquid in them.

Could Snape have survived somehow? Harry picked up the vials to look closer at them. They were labeled in the spidery writing that Harry recognized all to well from the scathing remarks written on his potion essays. One was a blood-replenishing potion and the other was labeled _anti venom - Nagini._ That settled it in Harry's mind. Snape must have been able to survive the bite somehow.

"_Point me _- _Severus Snape_." Harry whispered to his wand. It spun lazily on his palm for a few moments before pointing in a northern direction. Harry sighed to himself. He felt like he had to go after Snape. He could still be wounded, and Harry didn't want anyone else to find him. He had saved Harry's life too many times for Harry to let him end up in Azkaban. He sent his patronus off with a message to Hermione saying that he had something to do and he didn't know when he would be back. He hoped no one would be too worried about him.

Not too long after Harry started out, he realized it was a stupid idea. He had no idea how far away Snape was, the man could have apparated to another country for all he knew. And here Harry was starting out after him with no idea how far he had to go, no supplies, while still wounded and exhausted from the recent battle. Harry sighed and decided apparating might help him get there faster. He would apparate to the farthest point he could see to, check the point me spell, and apparate again.

Finally, at the point of complete exhaustion when he was about to go back to Hogwarts, he checked his point me spell again and it pointed in the complete opposite direction. Snape was somewhere nearby now. Harry set out walking, his wand balanced on his palm. It wasn't long before he was approaching a small cabin hidden in a cove of trees. The cabin looked completely abandoned and as if a brisk wind could send it toppling to the ground. His wand was pointing straight at it however.

Harry carefully approached the cabin. He had no idea how lucid Snape might be, or even if he was alone. He was cursing himself more and more for rushing into things like the stupid Griffindor Snape always accused him of being. He reached the door of the small cabin without anything happening, and stood still for a moment before slowly pushing it open. Inside the cabin it was very dark, the windows covered with something that blocked out all sunlight.

Harry lit his wand with a whispered spell and slowly walked into the cabin. In the corner there was a bed with a lump of a figure on it, and Harry realized it must be Snape. Standing at the side of the bed, Harry could see fresh blood staining it. The wound from the snake bite had yet to close up, and Harry flinched away from the torn up flesh. Snape wasn't moving, wasn't breathing. Harry was afraid he was dead, tears he never expected beginning to wet his eyes.

Harry reached out a slightly shaking hand to make sure Snape was really dead this time, but before he could even blink the man shot up with superhuman speed, grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him down into a bruising grip. Harry caught sight of angry red eyes before he was completely restrained and something sharp sunk into his neck. Harry whimpered at the pain, tears falling freely as his already badly abused body protested this new pain.

"Snape." He managed to gasp out. "Stop. Please stop." He realized now that Snape was a vampire and the red eyes meant he was in a bloodlust. Something in Harry's pleading seemed to get through to him however as he paused for a moment, seeming to realize something. The older man pulled away with a jerk, and Harry screamed as the fangs were ripped roughly from his neck, tearing the flesh. He stumbled backward and fell, pressing a hand against his neck to stop the bleeding. Snape was staring down at him in horror, but that look quickly changed to one of fury.

"You imbecile! What in Merlin's name were you thinking by following me? I could have killed you Potter!" He shouted. Harry was a bit sidetracked by Snape's neck, however. Before his very eyes the wound was starting to close up.

"You're a vampire." Harry said, still shocked. His eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped on the floor as he finally passed out from the mixture of blood loss, exhaustion, and shock.

When Harry woke up the pain in his neck was mostly gone, as were his other lingering aches and pains from the battle with Voldemort. As he became more lucid, he realized he was in a rather warm and soft bed rather than a hard floor where he had passed out. A bit of sunlight was filtering in through a window in the strange room. He didn't recognize it as any house he had ever been in before.

Harry carefully got out of the bed, still a bit dizzy from blood loss. He realized he was clean and wearing clothes that weren't his. There was an open door in the room that offered Harry a glimpse of a bathroom, and he walked into it. He examined his neck in the mirror, wincing a bit at what he saw. There was a large bruise covering the side of his neck along with two scars where the fangs had pierced him. So it hadn't been a dream.

Harry went back to the bedroom and through the other door which led to a darkened hallway. There was a door across from his that was open, and he peeked in to find a library. A little bit down the hall was a closed door, and Harry carefully opened it. It was pitch black inside, heavy curtains covering the windows. Harry lit his wand with a whispered_ lumos _and located a bed covered in more of the heavy black drapery.

Carefully closing the door behind him, Harry slowly approached the bed. He held his breath as he pulled the drapes back, almost fearing that Snape would spring up at him despite knowing that vampires were not very active during daylight at all. Snape was indeed spread out on the bed, pale as death and almost seeming to glow in the light from Harry's wand. Harry reached out a trembling hand to touch the man. He pulled his hand quickly back from the cold and clammy flesh, however.

Harry quickly retreated to the library to gather his thoughts. Snape was alive. Sort of. He was a Vampire. He had attacked Harry, but he hadn't killed him. Why? Because Harry had begged him not to? Or for some other reason? He was in a strange place with Snape now. Snape had apparently healed him and taken care of him. Why? Thoughts swirled through Harry's mind for hours, bringing many more questions and very few answers. As the sun started to set Harry decided to return to Snape's room to hopefully get some answers out of him before he could disappear.

Harry quietly entered the room again, hoping that Snape wasn't stirring yet. Harry took a moment to truly look at Snape again as he waited for the sun to fully set. He looked younger, closer to his real age than he had looked before. His skin was paler than it had ever been, but his lips were still slightly pink. There was a small scar on his neck where Nagini had bit him, but the wound was fully healed. Snape's eyes snapped open, startling Harry. Before he could react he was in the same grip as before, one hand held tightly, pulling him closer to the vampire whose fangs were mere millimeters away from his neck, the other hand twisted in his hair, pulling his head back.

"Potter." Snape growled. "Give me one good reason not to drain you right now."

"I...I don't have one." Harry said nervously. He couldn't really think of any reason that would stop Snape if he truly wanted to kill him. Sharp fangs slid into his neck again and Harry bit his lip to keep from screaming. He couldn't stop the tears however, just like the last time. The bruising made it even more painful, if possible. With his free hand he reached out to Snape, pulling on his hair.

"Please stop." Harry choked out. Snape paused and easily slid his fangs out of the flesh, rather than the jerking, tearing motion of before. A cold hand reached up to press hard on Harry's neck, stemming the flow of blood. Cold black eyes regarded Harry for a moment, a hint of red in their depths slowly fading.

"Why did you follow me Potter?" Snape asked, glaring down at the crying boy.

"I had gone back to the Shrieking Shack to give you a proper burial, but your body wasn't there. I just . . . I wanted to make sure you were still alive and that you didn't need help." Harry said quietly.

"Why?" Snape asked with the same dark sneer.

"I don't know." Harry answered. Snape narrowed his eyes and looked at Harry for a moment. Silence stretched over the two for a few moments, making Harry even more uncomfortable.

"You should leave now Potter." Snape said suddenly, standing from the bed and letting go of Harry. He stumbled a bit at the sudden loss of the restraining hands.

"What if I don't want to?" Harry asked defiantly, determination glittering in his eyes.

"Fine Potter, by all means, sit around here and wait for the day I finally can't stop myself from draining you dry." Snape said with more than a bit of sarcasm.

"You've stopped both times I asked you to." Harry said quietly.

"That doesn't mean I always will Potter." Snape growled. "I've just gone through the change. I don't have full control over my powers yet."

"You just changed? You weren't a vampire before?" Harry asked, surprised.

"No Potter. I was infected a long time ago, but I was still alive. When I died in the Shrieking Shack the vampire blood took over and changed me." Snape said. Harry was silent for a moment, digesting this new piece of information and trying to think of a way to convince Snape to let him stay

"Wouldn't having a steady donor help your powers stabilize quicker?" Harry asked, trying to recall everything he had learned about vampires in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"What are you getting at Potter?" Snape asked, eyes narrowed.

"I could stay here and be your blood donor. If you feed from me every day, you won't go into a bloodlust and you won't kill me. That way you can stay hidden instead of having to hunt, and the ministry won't send you to Azkaban." Harry said.

"Foolish boy, you have no idea what you're trying to get yourself into." Snape sneered.

"Yes I do Professor. I know exactly what it feels like to be bitten, and I also know that you stop when I ask you to." Harry said.

"Yes, and you cry like a little girl whenever I bite you." Snape said with a sneer. Harry glared at him, but didn't argue the point. Snape sighed and took a minute to ponder the situation. If Harry stayed here as his donor, it would be mush easier to keep an eye on him. If he could keep him safe from himself that was. Harry would also be a powerful bargaining chip if the ministry ever did catch wind of him. If he had a fully established blood bond with the boy he could stay out of Azkaban most likely. With a donor bond Harry would become more or less his property and he would have every right to demand for Harry to remain with him in Azkaban. Most likely they wouldn't want to do that to their Golden Boy and he would never be put into the prison.

"Do you realize you are asking to form a blood bond with me Potter? A bond that you can never break unless I chose to end it? Do you realize that you are asking to become my property, Potter?" Snape asked darkly, gripping Harry's face by the chin and forcing the boy to look up at him. "If you form this donor bond with me, you forfeit all control. I make every decision for you. You become dependent upon me and my whims. If I choose to, I can drain every last drop of blood from your body and leave you for dead and no one can press any charges upon me. If I become bored with you I can break the bond, most likely breaking your fragile little mind in the process. I hold your life in my hands. Do you understand all of that, Potter?"

"Yes Sir." Harry said, refusing to let his fear show and especially refusing to begin crying again. Snape would never do that to him, he told himself. Would he? He was just trying to scare him out of this. Wasn't he?

"And do you still want to go through with this?" Snape asked.

"Yes." Harry answered without hesitation. The thought of having a bond, even an unbalanced one, appealed to Harry. It would be some stability in his life, something he could depend on. It would be the closest thing he had to a relative besides the Dursley's. And the thought of giving over control, of no longer having to be the leader, the savior, seemed quite nice actually. For the first time in his life there would be someone there to take care of him.

Snape read these thoughts as they flitted through Harry's expressive green eyes. He shifted his hand from Harry's chin to the back of his head, his grip becoming much more gentle. He pulled Harry's head back and sunk his fangs into the warm flesh once more, practically cradling the boy as he fed. It wasn't as painful as before, though Harry could just barely keep from crying.

As he drank Snape could practically feel Harry's emotions bleeding out of his body along with the precious red fluid. They were almost overwhelming in their intensity. There was an extreme loneliness, almost physically painful in its intensity. There was a deep longing in the boy, longing for a family, for someone to be there for him and take care of him. It was that longing that reached out and began to form the bond between them.

"No more." Harry whispered. "I can't give any more." He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open and his knees were starting to buckle. Snape slowly slid his fangs out, summoning a vial of blood replenishing potion. He tipped it down Harry's throat before returning to the still bleeding wound, carefully licking away the blood until the wound sealed itself. Harry gasped at the feeling, his eyes drooping shut as he slowly fell into a deep sleep.

"No longer, Harry." Snape whispered to the unconscious boy. "You don't have to be alone any longer."

Snape laid the boy out on the bed, placing another blood replenishing potion on the small table beside it with a note ordering him to drink them. He examined the wound on his neck before spreading a salve over it. He had been a bit rough on the boy the first time he had bitten, but it had been instinct that caused him to bite and surprise that caused him to stop. Finally he covered Harry with the blankets and left him to sleep off the blood loss.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for all the reviews, I'm so glad you guys like this! I completely forgot to thank my beta, Lying in an Angel's Arms, so for this chapter a super huge thank you goes out to her! Enjoy, and as always, reviews are extremely appreciated!

**Chapter 2**

Harry woke up several hours later cold and dizzy. He spied the potion and the note on the table and quickly drank it, feeling a bit better for it. He stood on shaky legs and pulled a blanket off the bed, wrapping it around himself before leaving the room to finish his exploration of the house. In the hallway there was a door that led to a kitchen, and another that led to a living room. At the very end was a door behind which was a staircase. Harry could smell potions and decided Snape must have his own laboratory down there. He didn't dare go find out, however. Instead he went to the kitchen, his grumbling stomach urging him on as he tried to remember what foods were best to help gain back blood loss.

"Red meat and leafy green vegetables." Snape's voice said from behind Harry, startling him into dropping the can he had been holding. He hadn't even heard Snape approach as he searched through the cabinets. He blushed slightly at being caught raiding the man's kitchen.

"What?" Harry asked.

"That is what you should eat." Snape said, steering Harry into a chair at the table before pulling out some steak and some spinach. He deftly prepared the food for Harry, leaving the meat a little more rare than Harry would have liked it, but he didn't dare complain.

"What is this place?" Harry asked. He was a bit unnerved by Snape, who sat silently watching him as he ate.

"It is my second home. It is unknown of by anyone else, hidden under many spells." Snape said.

"Oh." Harry said. "Why did you bring me here? And why were you at that cabin when I found you?"

"I was too weak to apparate all the way here. The cabin was as far as I could make it. I brought you here to heal you as you probably would have died from the sizable hole I managed to rip in your neck. It is a rather imbecilic thing to sneak up on a vampire, I hope you realize." Snape said in a scathing tone.

"It's not like I knew you were a vampire." Harry grumbled. Snape sighed slightly.

"Let me see your neck." He ordered, and Harry stood and walked over to him, tilting his head to expose the bite marks.

"Will it bruise every time you bite me?" he asked.

"No. It only bruised because I ripped my fangs out of your neck." Snape said, summoning a small jar and applying some salve to the now very faint bruise. "You will always have the scars there though."

"That's okay." Harry said, relieved that he wouldn't have to go through that amount of pain every time Snape fed from him. Right now it actually felt kind of nice when Snape touched the bite marks.

"The sun will be rising in an hour or so. I will be going back to my room. You may sleep or read in the library. You may not go into the basement nor may you leave the house. You should eat a healthy lunch and take one more blood replenishing potion with it. Understood?" Snape asked.

"Yes sir." Harry said. Snape nodded and left the kitchen. Harry heard the shower running and then silence as the sun slowly rose, lighting the kitchen up. After a few long moments of sitting still he got up and put the kettle on and washed the dishes. He fixed himself a cup of tea and retreated to the library. He found a book to read but he soon found his mind wandering, still stuffed full of unanswered questions. Harry ate a small meal around noon time, finding a potion waiting for him in the kitchen which he dutifully drank. He returned to his bedroom after eating, deciding that he wanted to be awake at night when Snape was, rather than by himself in the daytime. It was eerily silent in the daytime.

Harry surprised himself by sleeping well past sundown. He shuffled down the hallway to Snape's room, not really expecting to find him there, but not knowing what else to do. As expected Snape was absent, most likely down in the basement again. Harry retreated to the kitchen to make himself another small meal, but soon ended up back in Snape's bedroom, waiting for the vampire to reappear.

"Potter." Snape greeted with a raised eyebrow. He hadn't really expected to find Harry waiting for him in his bed.

"Do you need to feed again tonight?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but only a few drops. You need time to allow your blood count to recuperate." Snape said, sitting beside Harry on the bed. Harry titled his head to the side, offering his neck before Snape even made a move to bite him. Snape wondered briefly if it was good for the boy to be so willing around a vampire, but waved his concerns away in favor of biting down into the pale flesh. He drank for only a minute or so before pulling away, sealing the wound in the same way he did before. Harry had to bite back a small moan at the ministrations, wondering to himself if it was supposed to feel like that.

It wasn't until several days later that Snape finally planned to drink more than a few sips of blood. Harry had been occupying himself in the library, relishing a little in being able to do absolutely nothing. At first he thought he might become bored of it, but it hadn't happened yet. Snape joined him occasionally when he had to do a bit of research, but most of the vampire's time was spent down in the basement brewing potions.

"I'm going to drink most of your blood tonight Potter. You're going to sleep for a few days afterward. It will help the bond stabilize itself faster. Go to your bedroom and get ready to sleep, I'll be there in a few moments." Snape said, shooing Harry out of the room.

"Yes sir." Harry answered. He brushed his teeth and changed into clean pajamas before sitting on the bed and waiting for Snape to return. He didn't take long, setting several potions beside Harry's bed before sitting down next to him.

"Don't ask me to stop this time. The closer to death you come, the quicker the bond forms." Snape said, sitting further back on the bed and pulling Harry close so that he was practically sitting in Snape's lap. One hand supported his head while the other was wrapped around his waist, pulling Harry closer to the vampire. It was a position Harry had become quite used to.

"Okay." Harry said a bit nervously. Snape bit down and began drinking deeply on the rich red fluid. It was such an odd sensation Harry mused, wincing a bit as Snape moved just a little. Harry slumped against the vampire's chest as he felt himself get weaker and weaker. He panicked a bit as he got closer to the point where he usually begged Snape to stop. Snape gripped his hair a bit tighter to drag Harry back to reality.

Harry's vision began to tunnel the longer Snape drank. His senses narrowed down to the dull pain in his neck and the sound of Snape swallowing. The only thing keeping him upright was the tight grip Snape had on his waist. He could feel Snape's flesh warming as he drank more blood, and Harry pressed closer to that warmth as he became colder. Finally Snape felt Harry's heartbeat slowing and pulled away, quickly tipping a potion down his throat. Harry's head lolled and fell onto Snape's shoulder as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Go to sleep Potter." Snape ordered quietly, closing the wound. He was surprised at just how stubborn Harry was, he should have passed out before now.

"I won't die?" Harry asked, his voice barely more than a whisper. He tried to turn his head to look up at Snape, but couldn't quite manage it. He felt so weak. He ended up staring at Snape's jaw.

"No Potter, you won't die." Snape said, looking down at the sleepy green eyes.

"Promise?" Harry whispered, his eyes closing as he began to sink into sleep.

"Yes Potter, I promise." Snape answered. He sighed as he felt Harry fully surrender to sleep and shifted him in his arms a bit. He could already feel the bond between them growing the more he fed off the boy. It was odd, being so connected to a person. It had been so long since he had let anyone into his life to such a degree. He was feeling more protective of the boy than he ever had before, but also very possessive.

Finally he laid Harry down on the bed, covering him up with the blanket. He looked pale as death and for a moment Snape thought he might have taken too much. He tipped another blood replenishing potion down the boy's throat, rubbing it until he swallowed. Snape noticed that he was shivering, and with a flick of his wand he summoned an extra blanket from his room, placing it over the boy.

Snape stood quickly and scowled at himself. He was doting over the boy like an old woman. He sneered as he swept out of the room, wondering just what exactly he was getting himself into. How had he ever let the idiotic boy talk him into this? Bonding with him? Snape sighed and retreated to his lab. He couldn't just throw the boy out though, not now. The bond had already taken hold of him making him feel extremely possessive.

The next night Harry showed no signs of waking. Snape tipped another potion down his throat, letting his hand linger for a moment on the warm flesh. He was becoming quite fond of that neck. He resisted the urge to bite it again, instead taking a small drink from Harry's wrist instead. After a while he wouldn't have to drink so often, but for now it was an unfortunate necessity.

Another day passed and late in the night Harry began to stir. When Snape went to check on him he was tossing and turning in bed. He had gotten the blankets tangled around himself and was whimpering as if he was afraid of the restriction. Snape laid a hand on his forehead to check for a temperature, but as soon as he did Harry started screaming. Snape reeled back and winced as the sound assaulted his sensitive ears before throwing a silencing charm at the boy.

Harry had begun to thrash around on the bed now and Snape grabbed his arms in a tight grip to keep him from injuring himself. He lifted the silencing charm as the screams turned to pleading. Harry was begging him to let go, trapped in his nightmare still. Snape tried shaking him to wake him up, but it only made him scream again.

"Potter." He snapped, then "Potter!" he shouted, his voice louder than before. Harry still didn't wake up, just struggled against the hands holding him. Snape shifted the frightened boy so he could wrap his arms tightly around him and hold him still, sinking his fangs into Harry's neck as a last resort to wake the boy. He had always felt a small flare of emotions from Harry when he bit, but this time it was a strong sense of fear that came over him as he sank his teeth in.

Snape didn't drink, rather he just tried to use either the pain or the bond to rouse Harry from his dream world. It seemed to work. Harry gasped and his struggling stopped. Snape lifted his head to meet lucid green eyes, but Harry dropped his head to the black-clad shoulder. Snape soon felt wetness penetrating the cloth and realized Harry was crying.

"Have I hurt you?" Snape asked, loosening his grip a bit though still holding Harry close.

"I'm fine." He answered, which in Harry-speak meant 'I'm hurt.' Snape tried to let go of Harry to examine the damage but Harry panicked and pulled the vampire back. He blushed at the look Snape gave him and averted his eyes before stuttering out an explanation. "Can you just...wait a minute longer? Please?" Harry asked. Snape sighed but wrapped his arms back around his donor. Harry clung to him, muffling his crying against the vampire's shoulder.

"Take off your shirt and tell me where I've hurt you." Snape ordered once Harry had fallen silent.

"Yes Sir." Harry said, reluctantly removing himself from the cold arms and pulling off his shirt. Snape could see bruises already forming along Harry's shoulders and wrists. Snape summoned a small jar to himself and rubbed a bruise cream onto his donor.

"Anywhere else?" Snape asked.

"My back." Harry said quietly. Snape turned him around rubbed the salve into the place where he had obviously held his arm across Harry's back too hard.

"Drink these." Snape said, passing Harry two potions.

"I'm sorry that I freaked out like that." Harry said.

"Have you always had these nightmares?" Snape asked.

"I've had nightmares like it for a long time, but it's usually easy to wake me up." He replied. Snape nodded as his finished checking Harry over for any further injuries.

"The sun will be rising in an hour or so. I will fix you something to eat and then you should go back to sleep." Snape said, standing up in one fluid motion.

"Okay." Harry followed him out of the room and into the kitchen, sitting at the table as Snape silently prepared a meal. Harry was fairly amazed by the quality of the food. Snape was a better cook than Harry ever would have expected. After eating Harry cleaned the dishes and Snape disappeared with the impeding sunrise.

Harry paused as he went to return to his room, looking to the closed door of Snape's bedroom. It had been nice, having someone to hold him after a nightmare. And Snape hadn't really protested. Perhaps...Harry sighed to himself and knocked on the door to Snape's bedroom. At the command he slipped inside, standing nervously by the door.

"Is there something you wanted Potter?" Snape asked with a hint of annoyance.

"Could I...I was just wondering..." Harry struggled to say.

"Spit it out Potter." Snape sneered. The sun would be rising any moment now and it was making him lethargic and rather irritable.

"CanIsleepinherewithyou?" Harry said in a rush, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for the rejection he was sure was coming. Snape just sighed, rubbing his temple with two long fingers. He should have seen this coming. Harry was practically starved for affection, and here Snape was letting the boy form a blood bond with him.

"Fine Potter, you may stay in here tonight." Snape said, motioning Harry toward the bed. He perched nervously on the edge of it while Snape laid down on the other side. "Well, are you going to sleep or not?" Snape growled.

"Yes Sir. Sorry." Harry said, slipping into the bed and under the covers. He hadn't really been thinking things through again apparently. This was rather awkward. Snape sighed again, practically able to feel the nervousness rolling off the boy in waves.

"Calm down Potter." Snape ordered. "Breathe in slowly and go to sleep." Harry could feel his body instantly responding to the words spoken in an almost hypnotic voice. He supposed that Snape was taking a bit of advantage of his vampire powers as well as the bond. It was only a matter of moments before he fell into a peaceful sleep.

When Harry woke late in the day he had managed to press himself close against Snape. One of the vampire's cold arms lay heavily across Harry's waist and Harry's head was hidden against his shoulder. Snape smelled oddly comforting, an earthy mixture of herbs and soil with a coppery hint of blood. Harry blushed and tried to back away, but the arm on his waist tightened. Harry allowed himself a small smile as he pulled the blanket back around his shoulders and fell back to sleep.

Consciousness returned to Snape as the sun set. He realized with a frown that he was practically _cuddling_ with Harry. He sighed as he looked down at the peaceful expression on Harry's face. The boy looked so much younger when he slept, his world-weary eyes hidden from view. The age difference between them seemed to hit Snape full force at that moment and he sneered at himself. Yet again he wondered to himself why he had allowed this to happen. He was old enough to be Harry's father, but the intense feelings of possession and protection he felt were anything but fatherly in intent. It was the nature of the bond he had let the boy talk him into forming.

Snape untangled himself from the sleeping boy, unable to keep himself from pulling the blankets back up over him. He was doting over Harry like a love-sick fool. He sneered at himself yet again as he got dressed and retreated to his laboratory to brew more potions.

Snape brewed the simple medicinal potions almost mechanically as he pondered what his next step should be. He could break the bond with Harry and send the boy on his way. He wouldn't be able to find the house again with the number of protections over it. The bond was still shallow enough that Harry would most likely escape with minor damage. His emotional state might be unstable for a few weeks but he should get over it eventually. If he let the bond form further he wouldn't be able to break it without breaking Harry's mind too.

On the other hand if he turned Harry out he would no longer have a steady supply of blood. He would have to venture out of the safety of his house to find someone to feed off of. That came with a whole new set of problems. If the ministry ever caught wind of him it would become extremely dangerous outside of the small house. If he was ever caught it would mean a death sentence for him since he was a known murderer and now a vampire. The Dementor's Kiss didn't work on vampires, he would be chained up in the sunlight instead. It was a rather gruesome and inhumane death, but the ministry had a strong bias against vampires.

Of course, there was also the choice of leaving things be. Harry seemed perfectly content at the moment. It was what might happen in the future that concerned Snape. He couldn't very well keep the boy locked up in this house for the rest of his life. He would grow bored and depressed and whine about wanting to visit his friends. And if Snape let him leave, he might realize that he had made a huge mistake. He might look at Snape and see his true age just as Snape himself had done an hour earlier. And then he would want out of the bond, he would realize that he should get out in the world and find someone to love. Someone who could love him back as an equal rather than in some twisted and possessive way. Someone who was his age, not twenty years his senior.

Snape didn't know if he could take it if that happened. By that point the bond might have grown so strong that the mere thought of Harry with someone else would enrage his vampire blood. Vampires were notoriously possessive and killed without conscience. Snape was sure if he let the bond get any deeper that he would rather kill Harry than let him be with anyone else. Or else he might kill anyone he felt threatened by.

Sighing to himself Snape bottled up the potions he had finished, grabbing several vials to bring upstairs to Harry. He had made his decision. He would take the risks of hunting for blood rather than let the bond form to the point where it couldn't be broken. He didn't want to take the chance of Harry getting sick of him and becoming miserable being stuck in the bond because sure enough the boy would find someway to make him just as miserable. Harry was just waking up as Snape entered the room.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked. Snape was looking more stern than usual.

"Drink these." Snape said, passing Harry two potions. He did so without question, giving Snape an odd look. Snape sat on the bed and took Harry's chin in his hand, turning the boy's head so he could look into his eyes. Harry gave very little resistance when Snape entered his mind, and Snape sought out the anchor point of their bond. He began to carefully dismantle it.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked, beginning to panic. It took him only a moment to realize what Snape was doing as he felt the comforting presence that he now knew to be the bond dissipating. "No! No, stop it!" He screamed, closing his eyes and trying to pull away. Snape used his other arm to hold Harry's body still as he continued his work. "Please stop." Harry whispered pitifully, tears falling down his face as he struggled in the strong grip. Snape carefully held back his own emotions as he finished breaking the bond. "What have you done?" Harry asked, tearful green eyes looking up at him with painful accusation.

"Go to sleep Harry." Snape whispered. He felt oddly empty without the presence of the bond. Harry slumped into his arms as his body obeyed the command and Snape held him close for a moment. He was surprised to realize his own face was damp. Slowly he stood up, keeping the sleeping boy carefully cradled in his arms. He walked out of the house and past his wards before apparating to The Burrow, hoping that the Weasley's would be there.

Outside of the dilapidated house he paused for a moment, extending his senses. He could hear heartbeats and breathing inside the house. Several members of the family were there, and they were all asleep judging by the slow breathing. Snape silently crept inside and placed Harry on the sofa, placing a small pouch of potions into Harry's pocket. He slowly walked away, forcing himself not to look back at the boy. This was for the best.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you guys so much for all the reviews! Several of you made me laugh with your reactions, I'm really happy you're all so in to this. This is the second to last chapter and I promise you that you will have the last chapter before the end of the week and most likely quite a bit earlier.

Just a quick clarification - Harry is not a vampire. He just lets Severus drink his blood.

**Chapter 3**

Harry was woken in the morning by a scream. He jumped up, quickly realizing he was no longer in Snape's house. The events of the night came back to him but before he had a chance to react Mrs. Weasley was nearly suffocating him in a hug. She pulled away with a frown and immediately began chastising him.

"Where in the world have you been! You had us all worried sick Harry James Potter! The least you could have done was sent us a letter to let us know you were okay. We thought you were dead!" She shouted. She continued on in this vein for another few minutes, by which time the rest of the Weasley family had been roused from their beds. When she was done shouting Harry was once more enveloped into a suffocating hug as Mrs. Weasley started to cry. "I've got to go firecall the Grangers. Poor Hermione's been worried sick over you!" Mrs. Weasley said, bustling out of the room and leaving him to the questions of Ron and his brothers.

"Where were you mate?" Ron asked.

"Can we wait until Hermione gets here? It would be easier to tell it once." Harry asked. Ron groaned but George seemed to sense that something wasn't quite right with Harry.

"Are you okay Harry?" George asked, a little more perceptive than his younger brother. Harry couldn't hold back his pain any longer at the concerned words, hiding his face in his hands as he started to cry again. He felt like a bloody woman at the moment with all the emotions running rampant in his mind, and there seemed to be a jagged edge in place of the once comforting bond.

"I'm guessing that's a no." George said. Harry managed a rather distressed sounding laugh at the quip, sounding and feeling as if he were going insane.

"Harry!" A new voice shrieked. Hermione had arrived at the Burrow and immediately rushed to his side. She had temporarily added a floo connection to her parents house while waiting for news of Harry. Her own reprimands died on her tongue as she noticed he was crying, however. Instead she pulled him into a comforting hug. "What happened Harry?"

"He broke it." Harry said between his sobs. Hermione looked up at the others with a questioning look, but none of them had any idea what he meant either.

"Do you have any calming potions?" Hermione asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Yes, I'll be right back." She quickly fetched a vial of potion, gently coaxing Harry to drink it. After a few moments he had calmed down enough to become coherent again.

"Now will you tell us where you've been?" Ron asked.

"Really Ron!" Hermione huffed, turning back to Harry with concerned eyes. "Are you okay Harry?" She asked, holding his hand as she sat beside him. Her presence seemed somewhat soothing, and along with the calming potion his mind settled down enough to process what was going on.

"I'm sorry guys, I only meant to be gone for a few hours." He said.

"How did a few hours turn into a few weeks?" Hermione asked. Harry took a deep breath to calm himself before starting his tale.

"You remember that Voldemort killed Professor Snape in the Shrieking Shack," He started, barely even waiting for the nods of agreement before continuing, "And that just before he died he gave me his memories. Some of them showed him and Professor Dumbledore planning his murder. Snape didn't betray him, Dumbledore knew it was going to happen all along. He wanted Snape to kill him quickly, rather than suffer at the hands of the other Death Eaters." Harry's voice was a little strained as he talked about his old mentor, but the calming potion kept him from breaking down again.

"I wanted to give Snape a proper burial since he wasn't really a traitor and because he had saved my life so many times. When I went back to the shack his body wasn't there though. He had survived. I used a point-me spell to follow him, but when I found him he attacked me. He had been changed into a vampire." Harry braced himself for the inevitable explosion.

"You survived a vampire attack?" Hermione gasped.

"I always knew the greasy git was a vampire!" Ron exclaimed.

"Snape realized what he was doing halfway through and stopped. I passed out. When I woke up Snape had brought me to his house and healed me. He wanted me to leave, even threatened to kill me, but I wanted to stay. I offered to become his blood donor." Harry said quietly.

"You what!" Mrs. Weasley and Hermione shrieked at once. Harry winced. He had expected that reaction. The rest of the family was looking at him as if he were insane as well.

"I offered to become his blood donor." Harry repeated a bit forcefully, cutting off the rest of their protests. "He had saved my life so many times, it was the least I could do I thought. And there were other things I saw in his memories that made me want to stay with him. He called me crazy at first, but eventually agreed. He started to drink from me every night. He was sort of nice to me. It was a little weird, and I guess too good to be true. Last night he...last night," Harry started to break down again.

"He broke the bond, didn't he?" Hermione asked, saving Harry from having to answer. She had read several books on vampires when they covered them in Defense Against the Dark Arts. She had been fascinated in learning the difference between real ones and the ones in muggle movies and books. Therefore she knew plenty about the donor bond and what had happened to Harry, and she knew he was going to be rather emotional for the next few days.

"Well thank Merlin he did! Who knows what he could have done to you if he decided to go all the way through with it." Mrs. Weasley said. Harry tried to keep himself from sobbing. He knew the Weasley's wouldn't understand. Frankly he was fairly certain most people would think he was crazy if they knew.

"I'm sorry I didn't write. I really didn't mean to worry you all." Harry said.

"That's alright dear." Mrs. Weasley said, patting his back. "We're just glad you're okay. Why don't you come have some breakfast?"

After a rather hectic morning with the whole Weasley clan Harry claimed he wanted to take a nap. Mrs. Weasley was all too happy to set up a cot in Ron's room for him. He sighed at the relative peace in the room. As he laid down on the cot he noticed a clinking in his pocket. Mystified he pulled out a small pouch. There were several vials of potion neatly labeled in Snape's handwriting. Harry cursed himself as he started crying again, then turned to cursing Snape for what he had done.

Harry took another blood replenishing potion before starting to plan out what he should do now. Mrs. Weasley had offered to let Harry stay with them as long as he wanted, but the idea of camping out in Ron's room for the rest of his life wasn't exactly pleasing to him. He supposed eventually he would have to find his own flat.

Mrs. Weasley had spoken with Professor McGonagall about what Harry, Ron, and Hermione would do about missing their final year of Hogwarts. They had been given the choice of repeating the whole year next year, or taking a sort of summer school and sitting their NEWT's in the fall. The two choices had also been offered to any of the seventh years who felt that they weren't ready for their NEWT's at the normal time due to what Voldemort had done to the school and its curriculum.

Hermione had already decided to return next year and take a whole year of school, wanting to learn as much as she could. Ron had opted for the much shorter summer school. The thought of another year at Hogwarts, especially after the new fame he had garnered for defeating Voldemort, wasn't exactly pleasant to Harry. He supposed he would go to the summer school with Ron. They wouldn't be alone, a dozen or so other seventh years had signed up for the program.

Harry sighed, still at a loss. Things had been much simpler the week before. He hadn't had to think of the whole confusing mess he had left behind. He hadn't even thought of the fact that he had skipped his last year of school, or that eventually he would have to get a job. He had just thought that he would stay with Snape and that the Vampire would take care of him. Harry started sobbing again as he thought of the broken bond, cursing Snape for doing this to him. It wasn't long before he had cried himself to sleep.

"-ry? Harry?" A voice woke him several hours later. Harry mumbled an answer, trying to pry his eyes open. "Mrs. Weasley wanted me to wake you up for dinner." Hermione said, sitting on the bed beside him. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine." Harry sighed.

"I know for a fact that you aren't." Hermione replied sternly.

"Then why did you even bother asking?" Harry laughed. He had missed Hermione. It seemed like he had been gone for so much longer than a couple weeks.

"I have a book here on vampires, I wanted to re-read the sections about the donor bond. You're lucky that Snape could break the bond without harming your mind as well. I'm guessing that it was still a rather shallow bond." Hermione said.

"I just...we were getting along so well Hermione. Why did he decide to break it?" Harry asked.

"Why don't you read this? I marked the chapter about donor bonds. I think it might answer some of your questions." Hermione offered. Harry chuckled a little bit. Leave it up to Hermione to give a book as an answer.

"Thanks Hermione." Harry said.

"Why don't we go down for dinner now?" She asked. Harry nodded and followed her out of the room.

Harry decided to stay with the Weasley's until he had passed his NEWT's. It wasn't long until summer was upon them and with it came the summer school Professor McGonagall had set up for the seventh years. Harry threw himself into his studies in order to forget Snape and the whole painful business of the broken bond. Even Hermione was impressed with how studious he had become.

It was slightly painful for Harry to return to the old castle, some of which was still undergoing repairs. He sometimes had flashbacks to the violent battle and all the deaths that had occurred. He had missed the funerals of Remus, Tonks, and Fred, but had attended a memorial service held on Hogwarts grounds for all those lost during the whole of Voldemort's reign and he had visited all of their graves. Tonks' mother had taken in young Teddy, but as his godfather Harry visited quite often. The exuberant child was one of the few things that could still put a smile on his face.

Hermione carefully observed Harry from afar. She was worried slightly about his emotional and mental state after the whole ordeal with Snape. He seemed happy enough among friends, but she often noticed a pained look in his eye when he thought no one was looking.

Fall came faster than Harry had expected and soon Hermione was returning to Hogwarts while Ron and Harry were sitting their NEWT tests. Both of them did very well, Harry scoring much higher than he had ever expected. Ron immediately applied for Auror training, but Harry hesitated. Ron tried to cajole him into signing up, but Harry wasn't sure. After his many encounters with Voldemort a lifetime of constantly fighting didn't really appeal to him. He didn't want to end up like Mad-Eye Moody, and as famous as he had become he was bound to be a target for evil. Anywhere he went in the Wizarding world he was bound to be recognized and pestered by people who wanted to meet the famous Harry Potter. It had already happened several times when he went to Diagon Alley and to a quidditch game with Ron. Harry decided to try his luck in the muggle world instead.

Harry quickly learned that returning to the muggle world was not an easy task. In their eyes he had no education past age eleven. Charms and Potions certainly didn't translate into muggle education. So Harry signed up for adult night classes in order to finish his muggle education while taking a part-time job in order to rent his own flat without completely depleting the money his parents had left him. It was a rather boring life he soon settled into.

"You look miserable, Harry." Hermione stated flatly. Harry had met with Hermione at the Three Broomsticks during a Hogsmeade weekend. The young witch was rather concerned over her friend.

"Gee, thanks Hermione, it's good to see you too." Harry said. He had meant to sound sarcastic but he just sounded depressed.

"You still miss him, don't you?" She asked. Harry didn't even have to guess at who she meant. Hermione had become his confidant and he had told her everything that had transpired between him and Snape. It was a rather cathartic feeling he got from talking to her. Harry sighed and paused for a moment to order his thoughts.

"I didn't think it could hurt so much, that I cared about him enough to make it hurt this much. It's like there's an empty space inside of me where the bond used to be." Harry sighed. "I guess he really did just see me as property."

"I think you're wrong there Harry." Hermione said softly. Harry looked up at her as if she were crazy.

"Why would he just toss me away like that though?" He asked.

"I don't think he tossed you away. It seems like he cared about you, he brought you to the Weasley's house, a place he knew you would be safe. If he was just tossing you away he probably just would have kicked you out of the house and washed his hands of you. From what you told me it doesn't seem like he thought of you like that." Hermione said.

"What do you think he thought then?" Harry asked a little bitterly. Hermione sighed.

"You loved him." Hermione said. It wasn't a question, just a statement.

"What?" Harry exclaimed. Hermione just gave him a stern look.

"I don't think you realized it yourself, but you loved him. I think he realized it around the time he broke the bond." Hermione said.

"But why would he break the bond if he loved me?" Harry asked.

"I think he was afraid." Hermione said.

"Of what?"

"Of losing you. Or of letting you get close enough to him so that you could break his heart. He spent so many years as a spy, he probably immediately suspects the worst of everyone. I think he didn't want to give you the chance to hurt him, so he let you go before the bond got so strong it would break your mind to lose it and you would be stuck with him." Hermione explained.

"Since when are you suddenly a psychiatrist?" Harry asked a little defensively.

"Just think about it Harry. I'm sure it will make sense eventually." Hermione said, smiling sadly at her friend.

That night Harry couldn't sleep. Hermione's words were still swirling through his head. He sighed as he realized she was right, at least partially. Harry wasn't positive he loved Snape. He certainly had grown to like the man, but he didn't know if it was a strong enough emotion to call love. He certainly could have come to love Snape had the man not turned him out like he did. But what could he do about it now? He didn't know the location of Snape's house and he was sure a simple point-me charm wouldn't work against all the protections the paranoid man had.

Harry shot up in bed as he had a thought. Snape had to hunt now didn't he? That meant he would have to leave his house. If Harry could catch him out hunting a point-me spell would certainly work. Harry cast the spell, but his wand just spun in lazy circles, not picking up anything. Snape was still at home then. All night long he tried the spell but he got no results. He finally fell asleep around dawn, completely exhausted and nearly ready to cry again.

Harry was completely miserable now. Everyone could see it in him. They all tried to help but Harry just shrugged them off. He worked, he went to school. He came back to his lonely little flat and tried to sleep through restless nightmares. Ron would often come over and drag Harry out to a quidditch game or to a bar to try to get Harry to mingle and maybe meet someone. Harry just sat in a dark corner drinking non-alcoholic drinks.

"Harry you've got to come with us!" Ron moaned. "It's our first Halloween as adults, we've got to have fun! George and me and a bunch of the guys are all going out together, you've just got to come with us!" He practically begged Harry.

"Ron, you know what will happen if I go out with you guys. I'll spend the whole night being mobbed by people who want an autograph, or a picture, or to shake my hand." Harry sighed.

"That's why we plan to go out to some muggle bars!" Ron exclaimed. "Come on, you need to get out some more, live a little! You spend all your time working or going to your muggle school, just take one night to have some fun."

"Fine Ron." Harry sighed. He knew the redhead wouldn't leave him alone until he agreed anyway.

"Great! We've got a costume all ready for you, come on over to our house." Ron said, a huge grin plastered onto his face. Harry sighed again and apparated to the Burrow, dreading whatever costume Ron and George might have picked out for him.

Harry groaned as he looked at the costume displayed before him. He should have guessed. George was eagerly holding up a muggle vampire costume for him, complete with a tuxedo and high-necked cape. He sighed and let himself be subjected to a few spells that George insisted upon. One spell gave him fake fangs, another slicked back his hair, and the last one gave him pale white skin.

"I hate you guys, I hope you know." He grumbled, adjusting the sleeves of the muggle suit. Ron and George just laughed it off before giving Harry the location they needed to apparate to in order to meet up with the rest of their little party. The group consisted of a few other boys from both Harry and Ron's year and from George's year. It wasn't long until the rambunctious group was off to their first stop of a long night spent bar-hopping.

Harry sighed as he watched his friends get drunker and drunker with each successive place. Harry himself had been force fed enough alcohol to give a moderate buzz, and was holding on to a mostly full glass to hopefully deter the guys from giving him anything else. Harry was getting a little tired of the hectic night and the drunken antics and decided to leave early.

Ignoring Ron's slurred protests, Harry headed out into a deserted alleyway to apparate home. He paused for a moment as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He could swear he was being watched. There was a footstep behind him and he whirled around, but no one was there. He pulled his wand out but it was no use as a dark shadow came over him, strong arms holding him still while fangs sunk into his neck. The real vampire pulled away quickly, however.

"Potter?" Snape asked in surprise. Before Harry could say anything the man started to apparate and Harry panicked. He wasn't going to let Snape get away, not now that he had found him again.

"No!" Harry shouted, lunging for the man. He managed to grab his arm just in time, and felt the familiar constricting feeling as Snape pulled him along in his apparition.


	4. Chapter 4

So this is the end! No more, for real. Even if you beg. I like this ending point. Again, thank you so much to all my reviewers, and to my beta. Enjoy!

**Chapter 4**

The two of them tumbled on top of each other in the hallway they landed in, Snape having been thrown off balance by the unexpected passenger. Snape quickly disentangled himself and stood, but the alcohol was making Harry bold and he grabbed onto the vampire's arm again.

"Potter you imbecile! Let go of me this instant! You could have splinched us both you half-wit!" Snape shouted angrily. Harry just tightened his grip on Snape's arm.

"I'm not letting go." He said, glaring defiantly up at the vampire.

"Let go Potter." Snape growled darkly. His anger was terrifying, but Harry refused to back down. He was plenty angry himself right now.

"No! Not until you tell me why!" Harry shouted, unable to hide the desperation in his tone. Snape's face seemed to soften for a fraction of a second before he pulled his masks back up. He finally wrenched his arm out of Harry's grip, a bit more forceful than he needed to as it sent Harry tumbling back onto the floor. Harry glared at Snape from his knees.

"Why what, Potter?" Snape teased, feigning ignorance. Harry was having none of it though. Adrenaline and alcohol were pumping through his veins, a dangerous mix that was making him rather reckless with the powerful creature. He growled in frustration as he jumped to his feet, angrily pacing as he undid the spells the Weasley boys had cast on him and ripped off the annoying cloak.

Why what indeed. Exactly which why did he want answered? There were so many questions running through his head, so many conflicting emotions. He wanted to fall to his knees and beg Snape to take him back but at the same time he wanted to scream and shout and hurt the man for what he had done to him.

Snape watched the agitated display before him with a bit of amazement. He hadn't recognized the boy at all when he followed him into the alleyway. There had been something pulling him toward the boy, but he had thought it was just his lust for blood. As soon as he had tasted the first drop of blood he had known, however. The boy's emotions had all flooded out and reached for Snape once again, just like when they had started the bond. Even now Snape could still sense every emotion rolling off of the angry boy.

Blood was beginning to soak into Harry's clothing from the still bleeding bitemark on his neck. The scent of the blood and the boy's emotions were beginning to draw out Snape's bloodlust. The blood he took from unfortunate muggle was of no comparison to the rich liquid he once had the privilege or taking from Harry. The scent teased him as it wafted through the air, the red sheen on Harry's neck practically calling to him. He gulped several times as red slowly crept into his eyes. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and he lunged at Harry, pinning him to the wall and biting deep into his neck. Harry winced and tried to hold back his tears, having become unaccustomed to the sharp teeth.

Both men gasped as the broken bond flared back to life stronger than before, flooding the two of them with all their unspoken emotions. Harry's knees buckled and he fell to the floor, Snape following him without releasing his neck. With each drop he continued to drink the emotions became stronger and stronger, flooding through the two of them and filling their whole beings. Snape couldn't have stopped even if he had wanted to, the bond tugging strongly at the pair, begging to be repaired.

"Just tell me why Snape. Why did you break the bond? Why did you just toss me away like a toy you'd gotten sick of playing with? That's all I want to know." Harry whispered, tears falling down his face as Snape finally released his neck and reality returned a bit. Harry sobbed as Snape gently licked and healed the wound he had made, the tender gesture a complete juxtaposition to the man's previous behavior that night. He continued licking down Harry's neck, ripping off the bloody shirt in order to find every last drop of that precious fluid. The vampire's own eyes were suspiciously bright as he looked down at the skinny man he was holding in his arms.

"Snape?" Harry whispered, unsure just what exactly was taking place. The vampire didn't answer, instead he lowered his head until his lips just barely brushed over Harry's. Harry gasped a little, closing his eyes as more tears fell and Snape pressed closer. The kiss became desperate and needy until Snape finally wrenched himself away.

"Why?" Harry asked once more. Snape sighed and stood, releasing his hold on Harry.

"We are more often treacherous through weakness than through calculation." Snape quoted quietly. Harry looked up at him with a bit of confusion but the vampire seemed reluctant to explain.

"Can we try this again, Snape? I don't want...I'm miserable out there, out in the real world. Everywhere I go in the wizarding world there's always someone who recognizes me. They all seem to think they're entitled to invade my private life, just because they know who I am and what I did. In the muggle world I'm considered uneducated and can't get a job, so it's not like I can escape so easily either. I just want to forget about it all." Harry asked.

"You'll grow bored Potter, either with doing nothing or with me. If we let this continue I won't be able to release you. You'll become just as miserable here as you are out there. You'll grow to hate me again soon enough." Snape said.

"If I get bored of doing nothing I'll find a job to do, or I'll visit my godson or the Weasley's." Harry said.

"And if you grow bored of me, Potter? You won't be able to change that so easily." Snape sneered. There was a flash of something behind the stony mask, and realization finally dawned on Harry.

"That's what this is about?" He asked incredulously. "You think I'll just have my fun with you for a while and then toss you aside? I'm not that kind of person, Snape. I really do care about you, I cared for you long before I even realized what I felt. I never would have offered my blood if I didn't think I would be happy living with you for the rest of my life." Harry said.

"Just living with me, Potter?" Snape asked. Harry blushed a little bit, but didn't back down.

"I didn't know at that point the true nature of my feelings, and I certainly didn't have any clue about what you felt. I could be happy either way, just remaining your donor or perhaps becoming your lover." Harry said, blushing right down to his toes. Snape sighed and looked back at Harry. The boy looked drained, both mentally and physically. It didn't escape his attention that the boy had yet to try standing up again. Snape's senses were telling him that the sun would be rising soon as well. Perhaps it would be better to argue over the particulars at another time.

"It's nearly dawn Potter. Why don't we rest for now?" He asked.

"You're not going to toss me out in the middle of the night again, are you?" Harry asked, arms crossed as he glared at the vampire as if challenging him to even try it again.

"No Potter." Snape scowled.

"You're not going to just avoid me either, are you?"

"No." He growled. At least not forever.

"Can I...can I sleep with you again?" Harry asked, suddenly sounding much more vulnerable.

"Yes." Snape sighed. Harry smiled and followed Snape to his bedroom where the vampire tossed an old nightshirt at him to replace his bloody costume. The two took turns in the bathroom before finally settling down onto the bed after a rather trying night.

"Snape?" Harry whispered after several moments of silence.

"Yes Potter?" The vampire scowled.

"Can I kiss you again?" Harry asked.

"Yes Potter." Snape answered. Harry smiled and leaned over the pale man, kissing him languidly as Snape wrapped his arms around the smaller man's waist. Harry smiled as he settled back down onto the bed, the cool arms still holding him tight. Maybe things would work out all right for once.


End file.
